Step 8: Test

Step 9: Conclusion

After all this work, if your contraption looks anything like this and/or passes your test, then you're done! You should be able to connect your monito...

Having a projector to watch movies is great, but they can be very expensive. These instructions will show you how to make an overhead projector (like what you may have used in grade school) usable with a computer. The total investment will vary, but it's definitely possible and probable that it will be much less than buying a projector at retail price.

Since each projector and monitor are different, prices and designs will differ. I will try to make the instructions as general as possible. I used an old Hitachi monitor and a Apollo Horizon Ultra overhead. I managed to get everything for free, and the same could apply to you! This project could take anywhere to a few hours to an afternoon depending on your specific situation and how much time you put into your fixture. The required skill varies from very little to experienced with electronics depending on if you can have the original power supply to the monitor and if the cooling fan needs to be soldered to a power supply.

Just keep in mind that the projector will be far from HD, but its a fun project and most people will find that the benefits outweigh the costs.

That's a good question. I think it changes with with the type of projector you plan on using. I ran mine, and it meets my standards. As far as comparing with commercial projectors, I doubt it's as bright. But I think the photons per dollar on the "homemade" version is pretty good. (There's a picture in the intro with what it looks like on the wall)